This section of the forum is for discussing the business and finance issues of the t-shirt industry. Which business structure to use (sole proprietor, LLC, S Corp, etc), how to handle billing, where to register your business and get the proper licensing, etc.
Just started a small design business. We have done a lot of custom orders, but have not been able to save up much money. We do not want to borrow any money and are not really interested in cafepress/zazzle/etc. Do you have any suggestions or ideas for us to make some money so we can start creating/printing our own shirts?
designbyhumans.com, you submit a design and if its voted most, you get some cash and a chance to win more if its shirt of the week/month, etc. check em out. just a thought
__________________
Divine Perfection needs not Human Corrections-->MashaAllah sonambvlo !¡ artista
The t-shirt contest here - $350, plus an iPhone! Are there any crafts you could sell? Or how about trying to get clients to buy some stuff like grandkids on a shirt (simple heat transfers - low cost)
__________________
The original Thread Killah!™ Heavy Metal Art and more @ www.deathisgain.com
I appreciate the suggestions so far. We have submitted a few designs to shirt.woot and threadless, but haven't been fortunate enough to win one yet. I like the corn flake idea...maybe I could find one that looked like a celebrity or something. ha
Go to your local PTO at the local schools, or where ever your kid goes. Come up with a fundraiser. Get your shirts wholesale.
There are ideas: Mother's day is coming up. Year end graduations = 8th and 12th grades may want something special. Also, Junior's may already be fundraising for their senior trip. A shirt about the new seniors taking over may sell for them. There's also the special clubs, academic and athletic.
These groups are always needing money. If you find a group to work with, make them up a sample/samples. Set your price and offer a "kickback" of each shirt sold to the group, and you keep the rest.
The PTO or whoever doesn't layout any money in advance, just the folks ordering, so the pto likes that, and you don't lay out any money either until you have the orders in hand, but then, you'll also have your payment in hand to cover your supplies. The PTO will handle going to the principle. They usually like the idea so much, they work it out with the principle that they get the okay to go forward. Academic and athletic clubs may just report to the person over them. You would find out how your school system handles it.
In the situation I was setting up, the PTO that was very excited for $1.00 back from every tee shirt. That was too low to me, I thought $2.00, but that is an example of how much these groups need money.
With 350 kids in the school, they figured if 300 bought the shirts, that is $300 "effort free" dollars back to them. The pto's work very long and hard for $300 on catalog orders. They are labor intense. When I offered the put up a poster with my sample, and let me send a flyer to the parents, they loved it. They just imagined the money without doing any of the labor and it was wonderful to them. There is a school in every town hurting for more money. Best regards.
offering fundraising opportunities sounds like a great idea. its like having mini sales people that sell at retail and you only have to pay $2 a shirt to and most kids have friends or family members that will buy things just to support them.
Thanks, Markthenewguy, it does seem a little like easy pickins'.
A large group with a base of supporters. I'd much rather get a kid a shirt, then receive some of those over priced trinkets that are 1"x1" in size, and I will just throw away.
Plus parents and grandparents will buy, so make sure adult sizes are available, as well.
Jon-something I'm doing that you may be interested in is the local Community/Farmers Market. It's only $15 a week here and there are lots of crafts, jewelry, soaps, candles, etc for sale. I'm going to take pics of historic sites and put them on t-shirts and tote bags. I'm also getting some hats made and embroidering some golf towels. Whatever you can think of that's relatively low cost to you, and that you think the people might like. Take some pics of places (make sure they're public domain) and sell them at the market. Then when people are at your table, talk to them about your business. All kinds of people go to these things every week. Badalou was talking about meeting a woman who managed a bank (I think that's the story) and after seeing his work at a similar show, placed an order for his totes to use as giveaways at the bank. You never know, the important thing is to be visible. I'm like you, without a lot of capital, but I think things like this market will help a lot.
There's a guy on there making fun of people looking at buying the cornflake. He said he found one and ate it and went to bed feeling like a king. Then he woke up remorseful and luckily he found another one in the same box. Then there's official buyer certificates, t-shirts, buttons, web domains, and everything else. Too funny. I appreciate the creativity.
A few years ago somebody got around $10k for a grilled cheese with mother teresa on it, and then there was a brick with Jesus on it. So just keep your eyes open, there's treasure everywhere!
__________________
Hard labor kills, make t-shirts instead.
I agree with the fundraising idea. I am doing this right now with the local AYSO. I designed ten different shirts for them through my shop and offered them a discounted price (so they would be able to buy more and actually make some money on them). They aren't going to do it for the spring season but, during the fall, opening day sees around 300-400 people for the whole day. If I have them put a business card in with each shirt, that's a whole lotta new customers (I hope...)...
Go to your local PTO at the local schools, or where ever your kid goes. Come up with a fundraiser. Get your shirts wholesale.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tim3560
Jon-something I'm doing that you may be interested in is the local Community/Farmers Market.
These are all great ideas.
Girlzndollz...We have thought about the fundraiser idea before, but we were not sure how to go about doing this. I know lots of the local schools around here would probably be interested in something like that. Do you suggest having a sample to show them right away or trying to get your foot in the door first?
tim3560...I am not sure where they hold local farmers markets in our area, but that is a good idea. Our only problem would be getting the money to print the stuff to sell at the market, but I will have to check into that.
We also thought about doing a raffle. Either try to get a company or companies to donate something or buy something and use our friends and family to help sell raffle tickets. Have any of you tried anything like this? If so, how did it go?
Girlzndollz...We have thought about the fundraiser idea before, but we were not sure how to go about doing this. I know lots of the local schools around here would probably be interested in something like that. Do you suggest having a sample to show them right away or trying to get your foot in the door first?
A sample to leave with them is great, so they can show it to the Powers to be. A letter with the details of how you are arranging the business side is also helpful. The principal and pto president will want copies of the letter.
Make sure they understand they do not have to buy the shirts from you, and then re-sell them. This is the key to a quick agreement.
A few things to work out:
1. Who will take the orders? The PTO or school store, or with they forward the customers directly to your biz phone or website?
2. Will you deliver the shirts to the school for disbursement, or customers come to your shop for local pick up? (shipping will eat at your profits.)
3. How often long will the fundraiser continue? If longer than two weeks, how often will you disburse checks to them for filled/paid orders you've received?
A nice thing to keep records straight is for the pto to assign a person to you, so on both sides, your records are agreeing.
Good luck to you. Once one organization is successful with your fundraising, it can easily parlay into another. Most folks have their kids in this that and the other thing. They all need funds.
Best wishes and let us know how you do if you go this way.
Creative ways to raise money...? 
